The present invention generally relates to a latching mechanism and, more particularly, to a latching mechanism for retaining a closure of a motor vehicle compartment in a closed or latched position.
Vehicles such as passenger cars, light and heavy duty trucks, tractor trailers, buses, commercial delivery vehicles, among other motorized forms of transportation are conventionally equipped with latched closures for controlling access to one or more compartments of the vehicle. Examples of such closures for compartments include hoods, trunk lids, fuel doors, among others. Examples of latches for hoods are illustrated in copending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/985,195 (Porter et al.) and 09/007,421 (Peter Koenig), the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. Conventional latches provide adequate access to the vehicle compartment but have several deficiencies. First, the latches typically have a large number of parts and are typically constructed of relatively heavy materials, such as steel, in order to withstand the large forces transmitted through the latch. Second, the latches are typically designed for a hood having a particular size and weight. Third, the latches often fail when the closure is xe2x80x9cover slammedxe2x80x9d, that is, closed with too much. Fourth, vehicle hoods must be designed with crowns to put tension on the latch and prevent rattle during operation of the vehicle. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a latching mechanism which has reduced weight, can be utilized on a wide range of hood sizes, weights and dimensions, has xe2x80x9cover slamxe2x80x9d protection, and does not require a crown on the closure to prevent rattle.
The present invention provides a latch mechanism for a vehicle which overcomes at least some of the above-noted problems of the related art. According to the present invention, a latch mechanism includes, in combination, a housing forming a vertically extending groove for receiving a striker, first and second axles located on opposite sides of the groove, a striker spring located at the groove, a pawl pivotable about the first axle and defining a notch, and a ratchet pivotable about the second axle and defining a protrusion adapted to cooperate with the notch of the pawl to selectively retain the ratchet in a locked position. The ratchet also defines a pocket for receiving the striker and retaining the striker in the groove when the ratchet is in the locked position. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the axles define axially extending passageways therethrough. The passageways enable fasteners to pass therethrough to attach the latching mechanism to the vehicle such that forces are directly transmitted to the structure with out passing through the housing. Therefore, the housing can be constructed of a relatively lightweight material.
According to another aspect of the present invention, means are preferably provided for adjusting the position of the striker spring relative to the groove. By adjusting the position of the striker spring, the force applied to the striker is adjusted so that the latch mechanism can be used with hoods of varying size and/or weight.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a stop is preferably provided which is adapted to limit rotation of the ratchet and downward movement of the striker in the groove, wherein the stop is supported by at least one of the axles. The stop provides over slam protection because the force of the downward moving striker is transmitted directly to the vehicle structure through the axles and not through the housing.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the striker spring is preferably positioned at the groove to directly engage the striker, particularly when the ratchet is in the locked position. With the striker spring adapted to directly engage the striker in the locked position, the latching mechanism can be utilized with vehicle closures not having a crown without having rattle problems during operation of the vehicle.
From the foregoing disclosure and the following more detailed description of various preferred embodiments it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a significant advance in the technology and art of latching mechanisms. Particularly significant in this regard is the potential the invention affords for providing a light weight, high quality, feature-rich, low cost assembly. Additional features and advantages of various preferred embodiments will be better understood in view of the detailed description provided below.